Did you know?

Did you know that when you go to bed, I stay up to fold that last load of laundry, load the dishwasher and make tomorrow's lunch?

Did you know that I love hugging your tears away and putting character band aids on that mystery owie?

Did you know that when you grow up you will probably still love macaroni and cheese?

Did you know that a homemade picture is more precious than any gift you could give?

Did you know that I will always put your needs before mine?

Did you know that sometimes at night I watch you sleep just so I can steal one more glimpse of heaven?

Did you know that I love you a little more each day, even on the days that you push the limits?

Did you know that I would walk to the ends of the earth and back to take away every single pain you have ever felt?

Did you know that there are plenty of times that I don't want to say no, but know I have to?

Did you know you gave me my most challenging and rewarding role?

And finally, did you know that I will never think you are too old to need your mom?

XOXO
Me

Round Em Up

It's that time again in our household...Kindergarten Roundup! It's a process dreaded by most parents because it makes us realize our babies are getting older and so are we. The first time I did this, it was painless for the most part. Sure I forgot to turn in a copy of someone's birth certificate until the week before school started, but it all worked out. Today is the "official" first day we devoted parent are allowed to get our grubby little hands on a registration packet. It also happens to be the last "official" day to turn in an IDA form. What's an IDA form you ask? It's the "official" Intra-District Agreement form that must be filled out and signed by everyone, including the Queen of England. I have to fill one out each year in the hopes that my soon to be 2nd grader and Kindergartener will be allowed to remain at a school that we love.

I arrived at school #1 this morning to give them a copy of both reds IDA forms. Last year they were kind enough to allow me to submit the form through them, rather than through the primary attendance school. However, that is not the propert procedure so this year I wasn't allowed to do that.

Off to school #2...wait!!! Why didn't I pick up the kindergarten packet at school #1 you ask? Well in the words of my friend Jessica, we live in Yemin and our "official" primary school is only a 2-6 grade. There's another school that's even further out that takes all K-1st graders. So off to school #2 where I was hoping to drop off one of the IDA forms for my soon to be 2nd grader. Logic would say if school #2 is our primary school for grade 2-6, I would need to submit the form there. Apparently logic wasn't part of today's fun. I was turned away at school #2 and sent to school #3.

School #3 promises to take both IDA forms and my kindergarten registration packet. I fill it out and wait and wait until it's my turn to hand over the goodies. She takes copies of everything, but oh wait...Mrs. Goulart, I can't accept this. It seems as though your son is missing a few shots. Anticipating this issue, I looked over the required shots last night and compared them to what little red already had. He was missing the 2nd MMR which the form clearly said, required prior to entering Kindergarten. She proceeds to tell me he needs that shot before she will take the paperwork. So I kindly said, well the woman that was ahead of me didn't have an official stamped copy of the birth certificate and you took hers (she did ask her to come back with an official stamped version). She says, well technically it was all there, she just needs the stamp. If that logic makes any sense to anyone else, then I'm doomed. I was allowed to submit the IDA forms and told to come back with the packet after my child has been traumitized with a needle.

So here I sit, defeated by what should of been a simple process to enroll my child in school. The even more frustrating part that will confuse you even more....ready....school #2 is undergoing a $3million expansion that could turn it into a K-8 grade. Logic would say, then you close school #3 and have all the kids go to school #2. Wrong again. At this point the school Board hasn't made that decision, but hey $3 million on a school expansion that you don't intend to really use...that's logic. If the reds don't get their IDA's approved, then next school year we will have a 2nd grader at school #2 and a Kindergartener at school #3. Happy Monday!

xoxo

Me

Life Without Me

A topic that was on my mind more often than normal for a few months was Mr. G. and the Reds. As a mom and wife, it’s natural to think of your spouse and kids frequently. You hope they are safe, happy and on their best behavior when you aren’t around. As a mom and wife you take care of them when they are sick, hurt or upset. As a mom and wife you cry when they cry, hurt when they hurt and laugh when they laugh. But what happens if as a mom and wife, you may not be able to always make sure they are safe, happy, and content. What if you can’t cure their illness, bandage their ouwie’s or tell them silly stories. What if something were to happen to “Me”.

A few months ago I found myself in a place where I have never been before. For the most part, I’ve had a healthy life. A few minor things here and there, but nothing concerning by any means. Sparing all the details leading up to my situation, I found myself sitting in the doctor’s office, waiting for her to come in and begin the procedure that would ultimately tell me what’s wrong. As women, we undergo many undesirable exams just to keep ourselves healthy. Sometimes those exams don’t produce the desired results. I found myself in that place this time. A place where I needed to have a biopsy to determine if my body had decided to revolt after 34 years of being healthy. Four painful biopsies later, we discussed the various scenario’s and next steps. Ya see, at this point I was already told that I have pre-cancerous cells on my cervix. These tests were to determine the exact stage of my condition so I can get the proper treatment. It had been 6 weeks since I first found out and now I was going to have to wait another 3-5 days for the results. Mr. G. and I made a decision to not tell many family and friends because there wasn’t much to tell at this point. We didn’t want to deal with questions we didn’t have answers to or worry people if ultimately there was nothing to worry about.

When you get married, your life changes because you now have another person to think about. When you become a mom, the importance of your life changes tenfold. I love Mr. G. with all my heart and soul, but the love I have for the Reds is different. They are innocent little boys that need their mama. Mr. G. needs me to, as I do him, but these are my babies. The thought of me being sick and them not having the mom they are used to was devastating. The morbid thought of all three of them not having me at all was almost more than I could deal with.

For the next 7 days I barely ate, hardly slept, couldn’t concentrate and cried when no one else could see me. Mr. G. became the stronger one and I became the worry wart. As mom’s we worry about so many things when it comes to our kids and we know that one day, we won’t be around. My life plan never included exiting this earth at an early age, but I was being forced to go over this morbid thought. At this point some of you might say, you are totally overreacting. If you were that sick, you would know it, so stop with all this nonsense. Unfortunately, I am not programmed that way. Unless you have been in a similar situation, you really can’t understand the toll it takes on you emotionally. You never in a million years think you will be in the other person’s shoes and then you are.

On December 23rd my phone rang and it was a number I had known well by now. Partial biopsy results were back and my cell count is LOW! That was the best case scenario and what I had prayed for. Treatement = repeat tests in 6 months. If my status remains at low for at least 3 years, there is only a 20% chance that I will get the Big C. I will take the low results, 20% risk and try to remember what life was like before November 2nd and know that life will be great from this point on. At some point, many many years from now there will be life without me. For now, Mr. G. and the Reds will have Me around to smother them with love.

xoxo
Me

2011 = Exciting

2011!!! Here we are again. Three days into the new year and some people have probably broke their resolutions, gotten off to a rocky start or haven't come up with a plan to not repeat the bad of 2010. I myself don't make specific resolutions. I come up with a list of things I want to accomplish which some may say is a form of making a resolution. It's not elaborate and doesn't include unattainable things like winning the lottery (have to play to win) or becoming the next Top Chef :-) I fill mine with things like, spend more quality time with the reds, find more quiet time for me, vow to not let the laundry pile up, take the dog for more walks, etc. I might throw in a few things that require extra effort, but for the most part the list is almost like a daily checklist to keep myself in line and remind me of what's important.

As for the title of this blog, there will be some exciting things going on in our world this year. Do I know exactly what all those exciting things are...nope, but I have faith that it will be a great year. 2010 wasn't all that bad for us, which is why I have drawn the conclusion that 2011 = Exciting. Some notable moments for our household were a new job for Me after being unemployed for 5 1/2 months, family camping trips to the mountains and the coast, Mr. G. becoming VP of the FESM, the reds excitement on Christmas morning when they opened up the one thing they had been asking for since the day after last Christmas, adopting our lab Geronimo from the rescue center, finding out that the reds Godparents and our dear friends were expecting a baby in January 2011 (only a few more days), celebrating our 10 year anniversary with close friends and family, receiving great news from my dr. 2 days before Christmas, making new friends and reconnecting with old ones, being in a house that finally feels like home again after so many years of moving around and finally....this is more of a personal thing....getting to a point in my life where I know how to appreciate what I have and the opportunities that each day brings. So do I know for sure that 2011 will be exciting? Yep, I sure do.

xoxo

~Me

As if I didn't have enough to keep me busy....

Below is the article I submitted to examiner.com It won't be a published article, but I wanted to share with you all a glimpse into my writing world.

xoxo

Me

Marriage isn't a Walk in the Park

Marriage is a lot like a roller coaster. It has moments of anticipation and excitement, which can be compared to sitting at the top of the tracks, just waiting to make that first high speed decent. It can also make you uneasy, which are how many first time riders feel while standing in line. The one thing many don’t realize is that eventually the craziness of the ride stops and when you get off, you recognize that it really wasn’t so bad.
Marriage is hard work and can almost never be compared to a walk in the park. A walk in the park is usually peaceful and mainly on flat land. Sure you get to enjoy it at a calm pace, but after a while the silence can get lonely. The roller coaster on the other hand, now that will give you twists and turns like you never imagined. Marriage has twists, turns, highs and lows. Why wouldn’t it? You have two people who love each other trying to move through this crazy world together. It’s never going to resemble perfect.
A balance between perfect and unhappiness is what couples should strive for. Recognize that each of you have faults and accept the fault rather than try to change the one you love. Love unconditionally and with all your heart 100% of the time. A roller coaster can’t operate effectively on half speed and a marriage won’t survive on part time love. You have a choice to make. Find the harmonious balance and get in line for the ride of your life. You can even take that walk in the park with the one you love.

In All Honesty....

Has it really been that long since my last blog post?? Wowza! Guess I've been a little busy with life. In all honesty it's the busy life that brought me back to the blogging today.

While driving home from work I was going over this evenings to do list in my head and the entire time I believe Lucas was trying to talk to me about all the books he wanted to order from the Scholastic order form he just got from preschool. In all honesty I have no idea how long he was trying to get my attention, but it was the MAMA yell that finally got my attention. Like most veteran mommies, we learn to tune out the jabber from the backseat and listen for the important things like, mooommmyyy...Lucas put a lego man in his mouth again. Or the ever popular name calling and at this age that mainly consists of you're a poo head with a rebuttal of oh yeah well you're a gayno. Sidebar - ask Lucas what a gayno is because each time I ask, I get a different description.

I then began to think about what my life was like just a short year ago. I was busy, but busy with different things. I had stress, but a different kind of stress. I was newly unemployed and wondering what in the h-e-double hockey sticks was I going to do to help support my family. Oh and what would I do with all my free time (HA...free time). My time quickly filled up with planning parties and holiday gatherings, purging and packing for yet another move, volunteering at Sam's school, entertaining the youngest red during the day and trying to master the skills of a domestic goddess. I enjoyed having all this time to be a mommy and do the things I had always envied other mom's for. In all honesty, I secretly wished that I could hold off on finding a job just a little longer so I could enjoy this moment.

So here we are a year later and I'm 6 1/2 months into a new job that I'm thankful and happy to have. Usually our family is busy during the summer and things settle down a bit before the holiday season starts. That doesn't appear to be the case this year. Both reds are in school so mornings have become even more hectic. Who would of thought making one more lunch would totally throw off your morning schedule...it does!! So now on any given evening we are busy with dinner, baths, homework, feeding the cat and dog (yes I said dog), soccer practice or a game, CCD for the eldest red, work meetings, parent club meetings, FESM meetings and so on and so on. I know, I know, how is my life any more hectic than yours. Well it's probably not, but all this blabbing is getting to my point.

What could be so important that I would tune out my sweet baby boy on our drive home? This time is just ours...Luc and Mommy...Mommy and Luc...you and me...me and you...(it's a little song we made up). In all honesty, nothing is that important. My to do list consisted of stopping at the feed store, grocery store, dinner, homework, sweeping, giving the dog his flea meds, unloading the dishwasher, baths, folding laundry and finding a little down time. In all honesty, most of those things on that list could have waited until tomorrow. I knew what I really needed to do, but I wanted to make sure I REALLY knew what I needed to do. I've taken a detour and put some important things aside because life is hectic. Life will always be hectic so it's time to sit down and re prioritize. 2010 is quickly coming to an end and I can't think of a better time to take on this task.

The next time you put off for tomorrow, what you should of done today, ask yourself...did I really need to sacrifice that time?? In all honesty, probably not.

xoxo

Me

#1 Slacker

Ok, ok, ok...I get it. I'm a slacker and haven't upated the blog in exactly 2 months and 1 day. I've been a little busy, but I'm making a promise that I will do my best to not slack off so much and keep the blog updated.

Things around here are getting back to normal. It was an adjustment period going back to work after 5 1/2 months but I think we have settled in. Samuel has a few more weeks of school left and then he will be a big bad 1st grader. Lucas keeps asking about preschool, so daddy and I are beginning the search for a preschool he can go to a few days a week. Samuel really enjoyed his preschool time and we want Lucas to have the same advantage.

Festa season has begun so we will be getting our march on every Sunday from now until...well...forever. This summer we are going to try and camp as much as possible. With my new job I'm not allowed to take time off for the first 6 months so little weekend trips will have to do. Besides camping is always a good time.

Well for now this short update will have to do. The weather is beautiful today and I must get back outside and enjoy it. Check back for an update on our first camping trip which will happen over Memorial Day weekend. I'm sure I will have a few funny stories.

xoxo
Me